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From detnews.com - Autos Insider:
Every mile to the gallon counts nowadays. That's why carmakers, looking for ways to meet consumer demands for higher-mileage vehicles, are returning to basics and using low rolling resistance tires to gain an additional mile or two per gallon.
Once reserved for hybrid vehicles, these energy-saving tires are finding their way onto more models such as the 2009 Ford Escape. Advances in tire compounds have helped tiremakers create more efficient choices for consumers looking for replacements down the road.
When Ford Motor Co. introduces its 2009 compact SUVs this summer, all of them will include low rolling resistance tires.
Using the 16-inch Michelin Latitude Tour low rolling resistance tires on its four-cylinder 2009 Escape boosted fuel economy by 1 mile per gallon, to 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.
When General Motors Corp. wanted to speed along the development of its hybrid SUVs, Scott Miller, the vehicle performance manager for full-size hybrid trucks, said the automaker used the Bridgestone low rolling resistance tires that GM had on its shelf, instead of starting from scratch with a new tire.
"Compared to our off-road tires, these deliver up to 2 miles per gallon better performance," Miller said. "Every bit helps."
Consumers, tired of putting $80 worth of gas into their tank twice a week, see fuel mileage as one of the most important factors in their next vehicle purchase.
"People react emotionally to the price of gas," said Eric Ibara, director of market valuation at Kelley Blue Book. "Sometimes people focus in on just one factor. They're trying to reduce their fuel cost."
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